RLD for tie-up with smaller parties

The Rashtriya Lok Dal has started negotiating with smaller parties in eastern UP to widen its base, reports M Hasan.

While avoiding to decide the electoral alliance either with ruling Samajwadi Party or Congress, the Rashtriya Lok Dal has started negotiating with smaller parties in eastern UP to widen its base in the region. The move is largely aimed at retrieving lost ground of Chaudhury Charan Singh's era.

In this connection RLD chief Chaudhury Ajit Singh shared the dais with Rashtriya Samanta Dal leaders in Ghazipur on Monday. It is learnt that Loktantrik Congress Party (LCP) president Harishankar Tiwari has also taken up the alliance issue with Ajit Singh. Similarly Bharatiya Samaj Party, Rashtriya Labour Party and Janata Dal (JD) have also approached Singh for electoral alliance. Most of these parties have been trying to jump the bandwagon of RLD to make their presence felt in the assembly election. Harishankar Tiwari is also trying for alliance with United Democratic Front of Imam Jama Masjid Ahmad Bukhari. After enjoying powers for three years Tiwari has now launched drive against the state government. He has been eyeing on upper caste votes in Poorvanchal. The RLD general secretary Anil Dubey said UDF was also in touch with the party.

Even though Ajit Singh has been accusing the state government of the fast deteriorating law and order situation, Dubey said talks were also on with SP for alliance. Senior SP leader Mahavir Singh has complained to the leadership against RLD's tirade against the government. However, Ajit Singh said the party would not sidetrack people's issues for the sake of alliance.

The RLD, with its base in western UP, has been desperately trying to reach out to Poorvanchal. Singh had especially deployed his son Jayant Chaudhury to campaign in eastern region. There is a feeling in the party that loss in western UP because of anti-incumbency could be compensated in eastern UP by aligning with the forces hostile to SP. The party had also been making efforts in Bundelkhand.